Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Those were the first words uttered by Ms Lee Bee Wah when The Straits Times contacted the under-fire Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) president last night.

When asked if she would have done things differently in hindsight, she replied: 'No, I don't think there was anything wrong. Maybe the only thing is that I would not talk to Peh Shing Huei. My intention was blown out of proportion.

In the press, Thio Li-Ann has spoken about one hate mail she has received, regarding someone who wanted to 'defile her grave'.

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From her Parliamentary Speech:

"This August, I had my own experience with this sort of hysterical attack. I received an email from someone I never met, full of vile and obscene invective which I shall not repeat, accusing me of hatemongering. It cursed me and expressed the wish to defile my grave on the day 377A was repealed.

I believe in free debate but this oversteps the line. I was distressed, disgusted, upset enough to file a police report. Does a normal person go up to a stranger to express such irrational hatred?"

From The New Paper:

'I have already been insulted and received hate mail, even harassment.

'But should we be a nation of cowed individuals, subjugated by fear of being called hateful names?

[...]

Since her speech on Monday, she has been called terms like 'homophobic', 'unenlightened' and 'prejudiced' on the Internet. Some called her a 'fundamentalist'.

Many other profanies, vulgarities and four-letter words were hurled at her because of her stand.

Prof Thio said: 'One person expressed the wish to defile my grave on the day 377A was repealed. And I am conveying the sense of it in the most polite way I know how.

'I don't believe in repeating obscenities.'

From TODAY:

Professor Thio herself was "shell-shocked" and made a police report after receiving an abusive email in August from an unnamed stranger who threatened to defile her grave on the day Section 377A was repealed.

"If it was just a rude letter, I'd let it slip. But this really overstepped things," the law lecturer told Today.

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Some of you might be curious to know what was this mail that was "full of vile and obscene invective", with "obscenities" she could not repeat, that she had to censor by "conveying the sense of it in the most polite way I know how".

I reproduce it here for you. I know what that email is because I wrote it. And contrary to the TODAY report that said it was by 'an unnamed stranger', I actually signed off with my name, and sent it from my yahoo email account (the one I'm using here). This is the email. It consists of four lines:

As long as you exist, with your hatemongering and your vicious crusades against sexual minorities, I will never leave Singapore. I hope I outlive you long enough to see the repeal of 377A and on that day I will piss on your grave.

With love,Alfian.

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Thio Li-Ann has filed a police report, accusing me of 'Intentional Harassment'. On 26 October, I sat for a two-hour investigation at the Tanglin Division Police Station at Kampong Java Road. The Invesigating Officer was a very friendly and helpful man. Those of you with uniform fantasies, please restrain from asking me if he was attractive, because I will not entertain that query. Anyway, he wasn't in uniform. In my statement, I reported the following.

1) The mail was shot off one night after clubbing with friends (hence the time). Before that, on the cab ride home, I had been told that Thio was the 'member of the public' who called the police, resulting in the cancellation of the 'Pink Picnic'. The officer asked me how I felt when I wrote that letter and I said 'aggrieved, wounded and helpless'. And then taking a cue from her Parliamentary speech, I added, 'distressed, disgusted and upset'.

2) I had sent only that one email to her, which I did not think satisfies the criteria of repetition and persistence that would constitute 'harassment'.

3) The phrase 'fucked up', to my understanding, meant 'dysfunctional'. I said I did not consider the term abusive.

4) I had not threatened her with bodily harm.

5) In fact I had not made any threats to her at all, unless she thinks being a fellow citizen with me in Singapore constitutes a threat.

6) As for 'cursing' her with death by talking about outliving her, I said I was merely pointing out the obvious fact of her mortality. I also said that since I was younger than her, I would naturally expect her to die earlier, barring any misfortune. The sympathetic policeman offered to change the word 'die' to 'pass on' in my statement.

7) On the part about pissing on her grave, I said that gesture was meant to celebrate the repeal of 377A. I also said that a few lawyers had told me it was not illegal to piss on graves.

As the interview went on, the incredulity of it all I think struck the policeman. I told him that if what I sent her constituted harassment, then it would set an impossible precedent. Anyone who has received any message through whatever form of communication causing 'emotional distress' can file a police report alleging 'intentional harassment'.

I asked the policeman why he was even acting on her complaint, and whether he had more urgent cases to attend to. I told him she was wasting taxpayers' money and state resources. I said this was precisely the kind of 'bully-boy tactics' that she spoke of in her Parliamentary speech. I also said I considered her calling the authorities about the 'Pink Picnic' to be an example of harassment, and that I felt harassed listening to her Parliamentary speech.

I ended the statement by saying that I hoped she was aware that many of her actions have affected and hurt other people. I said I did not discount the possibility of her receiving other hate mail, but acting on me specifically as I was a strategic target, having written plays with gay themes.

I am posting the 'hate mail' here, knowing full well that there will be those who will chide me for my hot-bloodedness and impulsiveness. I apologise to those who think that my 'uncivil' four-liner has somewhat sabotaged the repeal-377A cause. But I think the exposure of this woman's pettiness, tendencies towards exaggeration, as well as her wanton abuse of the legal system, far outweighs the flak I will inevitably receive.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

when you're standing on the edge of nowherethere's only one way upso your heart's got to go therethrough the darkest nightsee the light shine brightwhen heros fall, in love or warthey live forever

this is a song for the lonelycan you hear me tonightfor the broken hearted, battle scared i'llbe by your sideand this is a song for the lonelywhen your dreams won't come truecan you hear this prayercoz someone's there for you

well love don't need a reasonshe can pick you upor leave you bleedingi've seen a strong man cryi know the reason whywe all forgive, we all forgetwe just keep believing

so let it find youwherever you may goi'm right beside youyou don't have to look no moreyou don't have to look no more, oh no

it's gonna be alrightit's gonna be alrightit's gonna be alright

this is a songa song for the lonelyand that's not you onlythrough the darkest nightyou're gonna see the light

love don't need a reasonjust to leave you bleeding

can you hear this prayersomeone's there

this is a song for the lonelycan you hear me tonightfor the broken hearted, battle scaredi'll be by your sideand this is a songfor the lonely

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Saturday, January 27, 2007

more than any other kind of cuisine, japanese food seems to have entrenched itself in the singapore foodscape; from the proliferation of kaiten-zushi bars to the big names like akane and shiro, there is no doubt that this wonderous cuisine is here to stay.

that said, more than a few japanese restaurants in singapore serve up not-so-pleasant japanese food. in addition, there seems to be a few types of japanese food that restaurants here don't seem to do well. one is soba; another, tempura. since 天ざる is one of my favourite foods when i was holidaying in japan, i'm always a bit bummed that i can't really get decent versions of either in singapore.

thus, when i saw the review on tenshin on umami's blog, i promised myself that i'd go there sometime; and finally i did, with my sister for lunch, taking advantage of the lunch sets that would not burn too big a hole in my pocket. i made sure that i got counter seating in order to witness the theatrics of the frying process.

both of us ended up ordering the tempura set lunch, with an additional serving of uni each. dishes included a vegetable with katsuo shavings amuse-bouche, a small salad with tart sesame dressing, and an assortment of tempura: ebi, asparagus, kabocha, uni, maitake and kisu (sillago), followed by a lemon shebert.